The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) will host an exhibition of portraits by Russian-born American painter Alexander Melamid in Holy Hip-Hop! New Paintings by Alex Melamid.

The life-size portraits of twelve icons of hip-hop culture capture the larger than life personas embodied by these men, who are among the wealthiest and most influential individuals of our time. Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Common, Kanye West, Reverend Run, Duke, Lil Jon, Don "Magic" Juan, Whoo Kid, Marc Ecko and Russell Simmons are portrayed by Melamid as they are in life ‚ serious, ambitious, powerful and compelling. The twelve, dressed in their everyday clothes, are rendered with Old Master style and quality, providing a provocative visual context and an association with masterpieces of the past.

The opening takes place on Friday, February 8th and will feature Detroit-based emcee, spoken word poet and "Afroflow" creator Mike-E Ellison along with a live set by James Pennington a.k.a. the Suburban Knight. The exhibition runs through April 20th and there is also an exhibit by Japanese fashion designer Rei Kawakubo.

Image credit: Kanye West, 2005, oil on canvas by Alexander Melamid